Rash of Motorcycle Accidents

Local crash punctuates rash of cycle accidents Roethlisberger puts famous face on common tragedy By: Brian Fraga "The issue of motorcycle safety hit close to home yesterday, a day after Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger made headlines when he was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident. Yesterday, a 36-year-old New Bedford man suffered severe injuries and was airlifted to a hospital in Boston after his Kawasaki ZX9R motorcycle collided with a pickup truck that was turning into a parking lot on Church Street in the city. Pieces of plastic, glass, a pair of goggles and gloves littered the crash site near Tony's Auto Sales at 845 Church St. Police said the motorcyclist was heading south on the street when the driver of a Ford Ranger pickup truck cut in front of him and turned, causing the crash. New Bedford police did not immediately disclose the victim's identity, pending notification of next of kin, nor would they discuss further details such as whether the victim was wearing a helmet, as required by state law. " Continue article